1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for providing a private chat during a group chat.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, electronic devices such as mobile terminals, and particularly smart phones have become increasingly popular, a message sending service (hereinafter, referred to as ‘messenger service’) such as a Short Message Service (SMS), and an instant messenger is acquiring a huge popularity for use in mobile terminals as well as in a personal computers and many other devices capable of such communication. In this way, users of the mobile terminal are making use of more various chat functions now than ever before.
A general messenger service provides a group chat function referred to as ‘one to N chat’. The group chat function corresponds to a function by which messages are exchanged between group chat participants within in a specific group. In the group chat, messages which one group chat participant sends are commonly sent to the other group chat participants. Accordingly, the messages exchanged between the group chat participants are viewable by all group chat participants.
Moreover, the general messenger service provides a private chat function referred to as ‘one to one chat’. The private chat function corresponds to a function by which messages are privately exchanged between some (typically two) of the group chat participants of the specific group. For example, the one to one chat is performed between two private chat participants participating in the one to one chat, out of the group of chat participants. The messages exchanged between the private chat participants participating in the private chat that occur concurrently during the group chat are not sent to the other group chat participants in addition to the private chat participants. Accordingly, the messages exchanged between the private chat participants are not viewable by the other group chat participants, as the intent of private chat is just that, between for example, two participants in a one to one chat.
When the group chat function of the messenger service is executed in the mobile terminal, a group chat window is displayed on a display of the mobile terminal. Through the group chat window, users can identify not only the group chat participants participating in the group chat but also the messages exchanged between the group chat participants. Moreover, the users can input a message and send the input message to the group chat participants through a message input window of the group chat window.
When a user wants to send a message only to a specific group chat participant out of the group chat participants during the group chat, the user selects the desired group chat participant, and requests the private chat. Then, a private chat window is displayed on the display of the mobile terminal. Generally, in the messenger service, the group chat window and the private chat window are separately provided.
Accordingly, when the user wants to simultaneously participate in the group chat and the private chat, the user must separately view the group chat window screen and the private chat window screen, and must separately participate in the group chat or the private chat. In general, in the mobile terminal, the group chat window and the private chat window are not simultaneously displayed, and only one chat window which the user selects is displayed. In other words, when the user attempts to access the private chat, while viewing or participating in the group chat through the group chat window, the group chat window disappears, and the private chat window is displayed instead of the group chat window. When the user selects the group chat in order to view or participate in the group chat, while viewing or participating in the private chat through the private chat window, the private chat window disappears, and the group chat window is displayed instead of the private chat window. In such a case as described above, the user must view or participate in the group chat and the private chat, while shuttling between the group chat window and the private chat window. In addition, the user has trouble in properly participating in the group chat and the private chat, while viewing the flow of the group chat and the private chat.
Furthermore, the general messenger service must prescribe the private chat participant of the group chat counterparts, through the private chat designation window during the group chat. The private chat designation window is provided as a separate screen, distinguished from the group chat window and the private chat window. When the user selects the group chat participant with whom the user desires to perform the private chat, through the group chat window, the group chat window disappears, and the separate private chat designation window is displayed instead of the group chat window. When the user designates the group chat participant with whom the user desires to perform the private chat, as a private chat participant through the private chat designation window, the private chat designation window disappears, and the private chat window is displayed instead of the private chat designation window. In this way, the user must designate the private chat participant through the separate private chat designation window in addition to the group chat window.